Farándula

Friday, June 14, 2013 - Veteran actress Jane Fonda is planning to work on her comedy skills by taking improvisation classes in Los Angeles.

The 75 year old has been working with actor/comedian Ben Schwartz on upcoming movie This Is Where I Leave You, and he has encouraged her to get involved with the Upright Citizens Brigade, a sketch group which has spawned funny stars including Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz.

Fonda admits working with Schwartz, as well as Tina Fey and Jason Bateman, on the project has given her the drive to take proper comedy classes.

In a post on her blog, she writes, "Ben Schwartz is hysterical... He started out in Ucb (upright Citizens' Brigade, a school for improv that Amy Poehler founded) and has gone on to write jokes for the likes of (David) Letterman and (Jay) Leno, (and) movies for major studios...

"I was very glad to learn all this about him cause (sic) until then I thought he was a normal actor with some abnormal ability to improv and that only added to my sense of total inadequacy in the humor department.

"Now I realize that's what he does. Bad enough to be alongside Tina Fey and Jason Bateman. He has inspired me to attend some of the sessions of UCB out in L.a. He says they have nights when known actors get on stage with less known but experienced improvers and see what happens. I like this sort of challenge and think it will be good for me... if it doesn't shred what's left of my confidence. He said Helen Hunt did it. If she's willing to do it, why not me?"